1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drawer-containing apparatus provided in a piece of furniture, a business machine or the like.
2. Discussion of Background
In a drawer-containing apparatus of this type, various measures have been taken to enable a case to be smoothly drawn from and pushed into a fixed housing. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 199140/1988 discloses an example of such drawer-containing apparatus.
This drawer-containing apparatus comprises a box-like housing to be fixed, a case held for forward and backward movement through a front opening of the housing, a biasing means for urging the case toward its protruded position, and a push-push locking mechanism for locking the case in its retreated position in the housing against the biasing force of the biasing means. With respect to the push-push locking mechanism, when the front surface of the case is further pushed backwardly, the case is released from the locking action of the push-push locking mechanism and pushed to its open position by the biasing force of the biasing means.
The drawer-containing apparatus has an advantage in that, by virtue of the use of the push-push locking mechanism, operation for releasing the case from the locking action thereof is simple. On the other hand, however, the apparatus has a drawback in that when the apparatus is subjected to some shock due to earthquake, mischief of a child or the like, the case is likely to be released from the locking action of the locking mechanism, thereby causing protrusion of the case. Such unexpected protrusion of the case not only makes an obstacle but also impairs safety since one is likely to hit oneself against the protruded case, thereby leading to a decreased commercial value.